Cover Art by CHE3ZY
Moved into my new place this week. Spent the last few weeks searching for a place to live and getting settled into my new job. Hoping to get things back on track with this story. Expect the next update next week. Be sure to let me know what you all think of this chapter in the reviews section please.
Mantle:
The Happy Huntresses were glued to the television set as the news played. On the screen the words 'Breaking News' were visible. Atlas' best-known reporter, Verdona Woods, was on the TV.
"In a shocking turn of events, Councilman Noir, the longest-serving member of the Atlas Council, has announced his intention to step down from his position due to his declining health. Per Atlesian law, Noir will be replaced by his elected alternate until a formal election is held to decide who will formally gain his seat on the council. The exact date of the preliminary election has yet to be determined, but many are speculating that it will take place sometime next year. As to when the primary election will be held is anyone's guess."
Joanna muted the TV before she turned and looked at Robyn. May and Fiona also looked at their leader. Robyn didn't look at any of them. Her eyes were still fixed on the TV. She couldn't believe what she heard. Everything was beginning to fall into place. She knew Noir's days on the council were numbered; the man was far too old to be serving in office, but to hear it firsthand was something else entirely. Her dream of implementing real change was within her reach. She knew she could win the seat. Her outreach efforts within the community were gaining steam and showed no signs of slowing down.
Robyn's eyes finally met her teammates before she smiled.
"Ladies," she said with confidence, "we've got work to do."
Beacon Academy:
Professor Ozpin sat behind his desk across from the pride of Mistral, Pyrrha Nikos. The last rays of the setting sun came through the intricate windows of the Headmaster's office.
"Thank you for coming Ms. Nikos. Your performance in the tournament is nothing short of exemplary. It comes as no surprise that they've chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament."
Pyrrha let a small smile escape.
"Thank you, Professor Ozpin," she said humbly, "but I would never have made it this far without my teammates." She paused for a moment as she thought about what she said. That wasn't entirely true. She had one other to thank too.
"I also have Jai Gris to thank for my performance," she said with a smile.
Qrow scoffed. He leaned up against the wall on the opposite side of the room with his arms crossed.
"Personally," said the alcoholic Huntsman, "I think it's the other way around when it comes to your team. No idea who Jai Gris is so I can't speak there."
Pyrrha looked back to look at the gruff-looking Huntsman.
"I'm sorry," she said, "but I don't believe we've been introduced."
Qrow looked a bit hostile overall.
"Name's Qrow," he said without looking at her, earning a frown from Pyrrha.
Ozpin cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine. Forgive his behavior; he hasn't been in the best of moods lately. I must say that I was unaware that Mr. Gris was helping you prepare for the tournament. I had hoped to see all of team PGRT together during the Vytal Tournament, but General Ironwood felt it necessary to change the teams for Atlas this year."
Pyrrha gave a small nod of understanding.
"Professor," she began, "if you don't mind me asking, why have you called me here?"
She found this whole thing to be a bit strange in her honest opinion.
Ozpin smiled.
"Of course, Ms. Nikos, but before I can answer that, I must ask you something. What is your favorite fairy tale?"
Pyrrha looked even more confused.
"I'm... sorry?"
"Fairy tales, stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them," Ozpin leaned forward over his desk.
Pyrrha looked put off by the question, but she answered.
"Well," she began, "there's The Tale of The Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower, but The Tale of the Guardians is arguably my favorite."
Ozpin smiled again.
"What about The Story of the Seasons?"
The Next Day – Beacon Academy:
"Excellent," Ciel was compiling a written report of her and Penny's progress throughout the tournament, "it appears things are going according to plan. You should have no issues winning the tournament."
Penny forced a smile as she sat across from Ciel at a table in the library. Ciel noticed the lack of energy in Penny's demeanor.
"Is something wrong Penny?"
"No…I…I just wish that my teammates were here too."
"You know that General Ironwood has other plans for them," Ciel replied, "what those plans are is something I do not have the luxury of knowing, but what I do know is that you have made your kingdom and your academy proud."
Penny couldn't help but notice the similarities between Ciel and Winter. It was as if Ciel were a younger version of Winter in terms of personality. The two were very by the books and very structured whereas she was more of a free spirit with tons of energy. She figured that's why she got along so well with Ruby, Yang, and Nora.
She wondered if all people from Atlas were like Ciel and Winter. The general was certainly like them, that's for sure. Her thoughts lingered on her father, Dr. Pietro, and she quickly realized that not everyone from Atlas was so cold and nigh emotionless. Now that she thought about it, some of the Ace Ops were quite friendly. Specialists Ebi and Amin always waved back and smiled at her when she greeted them. Blake and Ren weren't from Atlas and those two were the most reserved of their respective teams. Blake had her emotional moments, but Ren had yet to show any significant emotion. Penny couldn't help but notice how Ren reminded her of her brothers in that regard.
Her brothers, though, well they were something else entirely. They cared for her, and they would protect her at all costs, but they seemed so distant at times. It was almost as if they weren't human, and that was saying something because she was a cyborg.
Speaking of distant, Pyrrha hadn't been in a talkative mood all day today. She looked conflicted, and she didn't want her help, or anyone's help for that matter.
Penny frowned. She wished Jai could speak to her. Maybe she would speak to him. She had barely seen Rahm, Jai, or Terre in the last few days. They'd been busy with General Ironwood. She hoped that the four of them would be able to come together again before her next match in the tournament.
"The opening ceremony for the singles round will begin soon," Penny spoke resolutely, "we should go."
Ciel nodded.
The two stood up from their table and made their way to the colosseum.
The ring was shrill with silence, unbroken by the three warriors inside. Rahm, Jai, and Terre stoutly stood with their weapons readied, glaring each other down. Though they had taken the mock arena for a quick warm-up, the atmosphere only barely restrained the high tension of all hell threatening to break loose.
Swiftly, Rahm made the first move, partisan crisply slicing through the air as he made a mad dash for Jai. Steel flashed in front of him as Jai responded with his sword, deftly intercepting Rahm's blinding thrust. Rahm slid his weapon out from underneath Jai's and swung it directly at his opponent. In one clean motion, Jai slipped out from underneath the wide swing and folded his sword into its assault rifle mode, unleashing a hail of bullets.
Still in mid-swing, Rahm used the momentum to twist his body off of the ground and into the air, narrowly evading the bullets as they grazed past him. Not one to be left out of the action, Terre pushed forward, ducking through and deflecting the storm that flew toward him. Aiming for Jai, Terre hurled his staff over Rahm, who then found himself on the receiving end of a midair clothesline from his leader.
Instinctively, Jai swerved his rifle back into its sword mode, barely blocking the impromptu missile headed for his face. However, he was not prepared to take a full-body collision with Rahm, who came barreling at him with all the speed and force of a freight train. Jai tumbled to the ground while Rahm landed on his feet, thanks to his semblance kicking in and locking in his body position when Terre made contact.
Terre caught his weapon and activated the Dust cartridge on his staff, summoning geysers of flame with each thrust and sweep he made at Rahm. Just as quickly as he had regained his composure, Rahm matched his leader's tempo, turning what would have been surefire strikes into a series of near-misses with his expert spear handling.
Jai leaped back into the fray, swiftly stabbing at Terre through his flame bursts. He jumped over a simultaneous swing from his brothers, launching himself off of Rahm and bringing his sword down in a devastating arc. Terre barely brought his staff up in time to dampen the crushing blow, which forced him to his knees. Just before Jai could draw himself back, Terre unleashed a rapid chain of destructive blows to his teammate's open ribcage, augmented by the latent Fire dust in his weapon. As his aura flickered, Jai quickly stepped in and delivered a fierce headbutt to Terre, following up with a blinding series of slashes at him.
Just as the two harmonized into a rising symphony of clashing steel, Rahm's partisan morphed into its rocket launcher state as he ran toward them, firing off a mighty barrage of rockets at Jai and Terre. His targets darted around the room, easily evading the missiles, but unknowingly corralling themselves to Rahm's tune; having predicted their escape routes, his partisan gleamed with Dust energy as he nimbly maneuvered around to Terre, stabbing into him like a lightning bolt.
The discharge sent Terre soaring past Jai, who immediately made a beeline straight for Rahm. In his approach, Jai switched to rifle mode and let loose another spray of bullets. In a dazzling flourish, Rahm twirled his spear as he vaporized and deflected the flurry. However, Jai proved much quicker with his sword, trapping Rahm in a storm of stabs.
Rahm could feel his aura quickly being pierced through with every stab and jab that made its way through his defenses. In a spontaneous bid to escape his situation, Rahm quickly grabbed at Jai's arm as the sword slid past his head, using his semblance to lock them both in place. Even though Jai immediately recognized he was caught, he couldn't pull his arm out in time to escape Rahm's vice grip. Rahm's spear crackled with energy as he undid his semblance to freely thrust it at Jai, only for both of them to suddenly go horizontal as Terre came in with a dropkick to the back of Rahm's head.
All three of them rolled back to their feet, the fight kicking into a whole other gear as they picked up the speed. The clashes of metal and dull thuds reverberated throughout the arena, leaving no room for silence to calm the frenzy that was now taking place. Not even a full house in the Amity Arena could dare hope to outdo the rousing orchestra blaring through this hallowed hall.
The three would be forgiven for not paying attention to a little audience for their little get-together. Velvet Scarlatina silently watched in awe from behind the bleachers, unable to even hear herself amid the cacophony. Though it was merely a spar, this was far more exciting and high-octane than any of the matches she had seen so far during the Vytal Festival.
"How are they able to move like that...?" the bunny-eared Faunus wondered to herself. They had moves that matched—no, perhaps even surpassed that of most professional Huntsmen she had ever seen. She had heard plenty of rumors about these strange first years from Atlas, but this was the first time she had ever seen them put on such a rigorous demonstration in full force. She shuffled those thoughts away as she brought a small camera up to take another photo of them, though her chances at getting a clear snapshot were far and very few in between.
As well concealed as she thought she was, the boys had already known she was there, watching them. Such clandestine voyeurism could be considered creepy, if not outright scandalous, had they not read up on her file. This particular activity was a well-known occurrence for Velvet, even before her attendance at Beacon Academy, though it seemed to be for a more practical reason rather than some form of teenage sensationalism. Her records indicated that this was more a form of study for her; Rahm and Penny theorized that it was geared toward refining her own fighting style by learning from others.
While they inferred Velvet was by no means an evil person or had a nefarious agenda, they still had to be careful not to show off too much about their skill sets. Rahm's semblance could be safely engaged since it couldn't be observed by the naked eye, and none of their weapons particularly gave off anything amiss about them. Even so, the three couldn't pull off many of the more advanced maneuvers that their regular missions demanded of them. Their current level of skill on parade was already deemed somewhat unusual, though luckily it was chalked up to them simply being gifted.
Ping!
The crashing tides of battle instantly subsided as their Scrolls beeped; the three giants stopped to look at their aura levels, which were almost exhausted by the end of the match. Nodding to one another, they sheathed their weapons and picked up their scrolls off the bench, which greeted them with:
The tournament will resume shortly at 1400 hours. 011 and 037 are tasked with Vale perimeter security while 069 will be providing tournament overwatch. See the attached mission specs for more details.
-Gen Ironwood
Silently, the three made their way to the exit, passing by the bleachers where Velvet was hiding. Just before they left, Rahm sharply quipped, "Hope you enjoyed the show, Velvet."
His remark was met with a loud "Meep!" from the bleachers and the dull thud of someone clumsily hitting their head on something.
The three didn't even turn back as they disappeared through the door, with the poor Faunus finally crawling out from behind the bleachers, nursing a bump on her head.
"They knew I was here the whole time...?" she quietly muttered, aghast and embarrassed at being called out like that.
As the boys marched down the hallway they came to an intersection that led either left or right. Terre went left while Jai and Rahm went right. The instructions they received on their scrolls directed them to commit two of them to assist in eliminating Grimm in the outskirts of the city while the other remain to help provide security overwatch. Terre would remain behind in Amity to help bolster security while Rahm and Jai went on patrol.
Rahm and Jai exited Beacon's athletic building and made their way toward the landing pads. There were a few Atlas bullheads on the pads and soldiers were issuing out equipment to Atlas Academy students. General Ironwood requested any Atlas students not actively participating in the tournament to assist in patrolling the outskirts of Vale against Grimm if able. This request accomplished three things. One, it further played into the general's cover for the boys by reorganizing the team structure for Atlas and letting them get out of the tournament without suspicion. Two, it allowed the boys to go out on missions without issue. Three, it gave the students of Atlas actual real-world experience.
The students wouldn't be left unsupervised of course. They would be watched by experienced soldiers and Specialists. Rahm and Jai, however, wouldn't fall into that category. They would be in disguise of course, per the mission specs. Instead of their previous White Fang disguise with its accompanying choice of weaponry, they would wear Atlas combat infantry gear and armor with fully encompassing tactical helmets. The gear was nothing compared to their WRAITH suits, but it was good enough for the standard Atlas soldier. While they were to be given the wears of a standard Atlas soldier, the weapons would be anything but standard. They'd have free reign to receive any piece of weaponry they deemed necessary.
The two Guardians took care to remain out of sight as they maneuvered around the lines of Atlas students. They marched to a lone bullhead that looked like an ordinary civilian transport vessel used by the everyday citizen, but the boys knew better. This one was made to look normal and not draw any unwanted attention. Jai discretely held his scroll up to an external scanner and the ramp came down, and the boys boarded without issue. The main cabin lacked any passengers, though two pilots could be seen in the cockpit waiting silently and patiently. These pilots were of the discrete kind, evidenced by how they didn't wear any uniforms of any kind. These guys wouldn't ask questions; they knew how it worked.
Jai hit the ramp door button and sealed the bullhead. There, waiting for them on the cabin floor, were a pair of large cases. Jai opened one and Rahm opened another.
In Jai's case, there was a wide assortment of highly modified and highly nonstandard weapons and handheld explosives. These were the kinds of weapons that only Atlas special forces units had access to. To the two Guardians, however, the weapons were acceptable.
In Rahm's case, there were two sets of Atlas combat uniforms complete with light armor plating, boots, and fully encompassing helmets. The two quickly donned the gear and then went about choosing their weapons.
Jai, deciding to take a close combat approach, settled on two M9G pistols that utilized armor-piercing high-explosive/.50 magnum caliber rounds. The pistols were holstered on drop holsters on either side of his legs. He also chose a 12-gauge M99 combat shotgun, designated the "Mauler," for its terrifying power. Jai finished his weapons selection off with a few fragmentation grenades and a 12-inch combat knife.
Rahm, opting for long-range combat, chose a 40mm M302 grenade launcher, designated the "Thumper," for its notable thumping sound whenever fired. The launched grenades had an explosive kill radius of 15 feet. Rahm also chose an SRS-66 sniper rifle that utilized 14.5x114mm armor-piercing sabot rounds. This was arguably one of the most lethal sniper rifle systems ever designed on Remnant. It didn't matter if the target was human, faunus, or Grimm because these rounds would tear through anything. Rahm finished off his weapons selection with a few fragmentation grenades and a short, curved dagger.
With their gear donned and their weapons loaded and prepped, it was nearly time to go. Jai moved to speak but a knocking on the ship's cargo door got his and Rahm's attention. The two Guardians looked at each other before they looked to the pilots, who likewise looked at them. The pilots looked just as confused as them.
Rahm hit the cargo door button and the door opened to reveal a man standing tall with excellent posture. The dark-skinned man was garbed in the uniform of an Atlas officer, a Major. The name on the nametag read 'Payne.'
From behind his fully encompassing helmet, Rahm studied him briefly before he looked past him and saw a team of four familiar Atlas students standing behind him. Flynt Coal, Neon Katt, Kobalt Azure, and Ivori Watkins. Though Rahm had only met the first two in person briefly when he caught them snooping around, he and his brothers witnessed team FNKI's matches throughout the tournament.
Rahm didn't look over his shoulder as he heard Jai approach from behind.
"Is there something I can do for you Major?" Asked Rahm.
"You're damn right you can soldier," replied the Major firmly, "these students need chaperones for Vale perimeter security and therefore I'm entrusting them to you."
Rahm looked at Jai for a second before the two of them looked back at the pilots, who simply shrugged, indicating they had no idea what was going on either.
This time Jai spoke.
"My apologies, sir, but I don't believe we caught your name."
"Payne," said the Major, "Major Benson Winifred Payne."
"Well, Major Payne," said Jai, "you do realize what kind of ship this is, right?"
To the unbriefed individual, this dropship was nothing more than a civilian transport vessel. That's what it was supposed to be in the eyes of the staff of Beacon Academy and the many students from around the world. To the Atlas military personnel, this was a special operations transport vessel, and that usually meant that personnel in the more conventional forces would leave it alone. Maybe this officer simply forgot?
"Don't lecture me, soldier," said the officer, "I know damn well. What I also know is that you two are not going on some covert mission but are in fact performing perimeter security for Vale. These students need chaperones and that's an order."
Though Jai and Rahm couldn't see each other's facial features beneath their helmets, they were both thinking the same thing. They could easily tell this Major to go pound sand and have the pilots, who were two Captains, take off but they would risk the Major running off and going up the chain of command to have them reprimanded. Rahm and Jai didn't fear that. They were Guardians and Guardians, whether the Regs knew it or not, did not fall under the traditional chain of command. Though, just because Guardians weren't in the normal chain of command didn't mean they didn't render the proper respect to officers.
Unless specifically ordered by General Ironwood, Guardians didn't take orders from anyone other than him. General Ironwood would have their backs and by extension the backs of the two pilots. They could, however, avoid the whole debacle now and simply do as the Major said and take team FNKI with them to perform the same mission they were already going to do. Had this been any other circumstance where the two Guardians weren't in the middle of a complicated operation where they were trying to maintain cover as students while also trying to put a stop to Salem's plans, then they would have gladly told the Major to piss off. In this case, it would be easier to just do as he wanted.
"Yes sir," replied Jai as he and Rahm saluted the major, "consider it done."
"Thank you, soldier," replied Major Payne as he saluted in return.
The major turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the two Guardians and team FNKI standing on the drop ship's ramp.
Rahm spoke up.
"Alright," he said, "this is how it's going to be. Get in, sit down, shut up, and do exactly as we tell you. Got it?"
Team FNKI immediately nodded and filed into the drop ship without a word of protest. From what they could see and hear, these soldiers weren't average soldiers. They lacked rank and identification. The drop ship looked like a normal civilian bullhead, but based on the conversation they heard it was probably used for some highly secret missions. For some reason, Neo and Flynt felt a tinge of familiarity in the soldier's voice. He reminded them of someone, but they couldn't piece it together. In any case, they weren't about to argue and get into trouble. Jai directed them to their seats, and they sat down.
"Be sure to strap in securely," said Jai, "we don't want anyone becoming a projectile in the event of a crash."
They did as they were told, looking slightly apprehensive at the mention of a potential crash. As Jai inspected their harnesses, Rahm walked up to the cockpit.
Kobalt raised his hand semi-awkwardly, gaining Jai's attention.
"Yes, Mr. Azure?" Asked Jai.
Kobalt looked a bit surprised at the fact that this stranger knew his name. He didn't dare ask how he knew and instead focused on his original question.
"Uh, yes sir," said Kobalt with nervousness, "how should we address you and your teammate?"
Jai stared at him for a second before he replied.
"You'll refer to me as Bravo and you'll call him Alpha. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir," they all replied.
Jai nodded. Rahm had since finished speaking to the pilots up front and returned to stand next to Jai. This time, Rahm addressed the four students.
"We'll be taking off shortly. Is it safe to assume you've all been briefed on the general mission overview?"
The four students nodded.
"Good," replied Rahm, "then I won't waste time going over that. We expect you to pull your weight, but considering how far you made it in the tournament it would be fair to assume you're all competent warriors. We're not going to have any issues, are we?"
"No sir," replied Ivori.
"Good," said Jai as he held out his hand, "for security purposes I want you all to hand over your scrolls. They'll be returned to you after this mission is completed."
Flynt, Neon, Kobalt, and Ivori didn't argue or protest. They did as they were told without question.
Amity Colosseum:
The VIP viewing area of the Amity Colosseum was bustling with activity. Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy, and General Ironwood of Atlas were already seated when a third figure joined them.
The man, though old, had a very impressive physique. He had dark, close-cut hair which was almost shaved off, and a checkered vest showed off his wiry frame, which looked like he had been chiseled from stone. He wore an ankle-length, grey-blue cape likened to the color of a stormy sky which was clasped onto his shoulders with a silver chain, a silver belt with a round buckle, matching boots, and bright white slacks with deep side pockets. He also wore red gloves which were decorated with Dust crystals. The outfit looked like it was designed to draw attention to himself.
It was none other than Professor Theodore, headmaster of Shade Academy, who made his way over with a wide smile on his face.
"Gentlemen," Theodore greeted them, taking a seat beside Ozpin. "It's great to see you both here."
"Theodore," Ozpin replied, his eyes gleaming with delight. "I'm thrilled that you could make it to the tournament. I see that Leo couldn't make it. How unfortunate."
Theodore nodded.
"Quite," said the Headmaster of Shade, "he wasn't feeling well when I spoke to him. Though, he did manage to send Rosada to keep watch over his students."
Ironwood nodded in agreement.
"I always felt she was able to keep Haven's students under control better than he ever could," said James with a small laugh.
Theodore chuckled.
"I take it that the Grimm threat to Vale has been neutralized? That Grimm breach was rather unfortunate," said Theodore.
Ozpin leaned back in his seat, a slight frown on his lips.
"She's certainly been busy lately," said Ozpin.
Theodore nodded.
"I'll say," replied Theodore, "first Amber and now this."
"Indeed," Ironwood said, his expression serious. "I trust you've taken necessary measures to keep the Summer Maiden safe, Theodore."
James never agreed with Ozpin's rationale to keep the Summer Maiden's identity a secret between him and Theodore. Ozpin insisted that her identity was on a need-to-know basis, but with the recent events, James felt that now of all times it was needed to know. Once again, James had to mentally berate himself. He was no better. He'd been keeping his own darker secrets for over a decade.
Theodore smiled at James.
"You know me, James," said Theodore, "I'm the most cautious of us."
James couldn't argue there. Theodore was certainly the least reckless of the four Headmasters.
"But let's not dwell on such gloomy matters right now," Theodore said with optimism, "the singles round is going to begin soon!"
The three Headmasters turned their attention to the arena below as the opening ceremony for the singles round commenced. The excitement in the air was palpable, and they couldn't help but join in. The tournament was in its final stage and the Headmasters couldn't help but feel proud of their students' performances throughout the previous rounds. Professors Oobleck and Port announced the names of the students who had advanced to the final stage. Pyrrha Nikos was the favorite to win the tournament while Yang Xiaolong and Penny Polendina were other names mentioned as favorites.
Theodore was on the edge of his seat, cheering loudly for his own students as their names were announced.
Professor Port's voice echoed over the intercom as he announced the first match-up. It appeared Ms. Xiaolong of Beacon would be against Mr. Black of Haven.
"This should be an interesting match," said Theodore as he munched on some popcorn.
Outskirts of Vale:
Neither Flynt nor his teammates knew what to make of the scene before them. They hadn't been here for more than ten minutes and already the two mysterious soldiers had singlehandedly eliminated more Grimm than it would take a seasoned 4-man team of professional Huntsmen in an hour. What made it even more unbelievable was that they weren't even winded in the slightest.
Team FNKI had eliminated a total of four Ursas and six Beowolves on their own, but those numbers were easily dwarfed by Alpha and Bravo. The two soldiers surveyed the landscape before them, taking note of the dissolving bodies of Grimm and the various craters formed thanks to the use of grenades. A few kilometers in the distance, they could see a herd of large Megoliaths making their way away from their position. These large Grimm were much older and wiser than their younger counterparts. The two Guardians didn't bother going after them, instead, they focused their attention on the more belligerent Grimm.
Jai slung his shotgun over his back as Rahm lowered his sniper rifle. The two made their way back toward the scene-shocked students.
"This sector is clear," said Jai, "for now."
The students were still dumbfounded and didn't say anything for a moment. It was Neon who gathered her thoughts first and spoke.
"I'm not really sure what to say other than maybe you guys could have left some for us?"
Flynt, Kobalt, and Ivori stared at Neon as if she was crazy. Did she really just say that to these guys? Did she seriously not have any sense of self-preservation?
Rahm and Jai merely stared at her for a moment before Rahm replied.
"Noted," said Rahm, "we'll be sure to scale it back on the next round."
Neon beamed a radiant smile while her teammates looked flabbergasted, still in disbelief at her antics. Flynt let out a sigh before he addressed the two soldiers.
"Just want to say my bad for Neon," Flynt gave a sheepish smile, "sometimes she forgets to think before she says something."
Neon glared at him before sticking her tongue out.
"Apologies aren't necessary," replied Rahm, "we prefer people to speak truthfully."
The students said nothing, merely silently agreeing with Rahm. On the note of truthfulness, Kobalt decided to take a leap of faith.
"So, uh, Alpha, right?" Asked Kobalt semi-awkwardly.
"Yeah?" Asked Rahm.
Kobalt felt the weight of Rahm's featureless gaze weighing down on him. He had several questions to ask but he quickly realized he was in over his head.
"Sorry," said Kobalt, "forget I asked."
"You might as well ask whatever you were going to ask," said Jai as he inspected his knife without looking in Kobalt's direction, "the worst we can do is say no."
"Sorry," Kobalt said, "I'm just curious. I think we're all curious." Kobalt looked at his teammates for a moment before turning his attention back to the two mysterious soldiers. "Are you guys some sort of Special Operatives? I've never seen soldiers like you."
They lacked identification, they used codenames, and they were far more skilled than anyone they'd ever seen.
Rahm and Jai looked at each other for a moment before Jai answered.
"Something like that."
The students looked more intrigued now.
"How does someone join the unit you're in?" Asked Ivori.
"You don't." replied Rahm, "you have to be selected. They'll find you."
While it wasn't technically a lie, it was certainly a way of putting it.
Flynt let out a small whistle.
"Well," said Flynt with a confident smile, "if they're ever recruiting, please put in a good word for team FNKI."
"We'll be sure to let them know," said Jai offhandedly.
A moment of silence passed before the loud thundering sound of a Megoliath's roar echoed across the field. Rahm and Jai turned and saw the herd of Megoliaths running toward their position.
"What the hell?!" Yelled Ivori in surprise.
Team FNKI watched as the two super soldiers stepped forward and readied their weapons.
"If I had to guess it looks like the Grimm have been spurred by an increase in negativity," said Rahm as he aimed the lead Megoliath through the scope of his sniper rifle.
He squeezed the trigger, sending an armor-piercing round straight in the eye of the lead Grimm, avoiding its bone armor plating. Rahm pulled back on the charging handle, throwing another round in the chamber, before he fired again and hit the Grimm's other eye, enraging the beast. A few more expertly placed shots finally took the Grimm down, but in that time its brethren managed to close a significant amount of the distance between them. They were about a click and a half away now.
The ground beneath them rumbled. Without thinking, Jai dove and tackled Kobalt and Ivori just as a Cenitaur burst forth from the ground, sending acid from its mouth and smothering the area where Kobalt and Ivori once stood. Jai immediately got to his feet, dragging the two students to their feet as he did so.
"Move!" Yelled Jai.
Kobalt and Ivori didn't need to be told twice as they ran off and regrouped with Neon and Flynt. Jai leaped over the Cenitaur, avoiding a spray of its acid, before retrieving his shotgun from his back in midair. He rapidly fired off a few bursts from the weapon at the Grimm's head, blowing it off cleanly. Jai landed gracefully as a trail of smoke emanated from his weapon.
The Megoliaths were less than a click away now. Rahm took off in a full sprint toward the Grimm, leaving team FNKI to stare in disbelief at how fast Alpha was running. He was easily doing more than 40 mph.
"Don't just stand there and stare," said Jai as he pumped his shotgun, "get ready."
The four members of team FNKI shook themselves out of their stupor and readied their weapons.
Jai followed his brother's example and ran forward. As he ran to catch up with Rahm, he activated his helmet's link to his own scroll and made a call.
Amity Colosseum:
High up in the rafters of Amity, Terre watched the events below unfold from start to finish. What he thought would be a standard match between Yang and Mercury Black devolved into what he could only describe as brutality. He'd fought both Yang and Mercury, and if one of them would have been capable of doing what he'd just seen it definitely would not have been Yang. She was abrasive and naturally aggressive, but she wasn't sadistic. When he was down and defeated, Yang attacked Mercury, injuring him. That brutal display sent the entire crowd watching into a state of anger and shock. No doubt the many people around the world watching were feeling the same thing, and that meant only one thing. A worldwide increase in negativity.
Terre remained in his position as Yang was arrested by Atlas forces. There was a part of him that wanted to go down there and investigate firsthand, but he knew that wasn't his job. A ping from his scroll got his attention.
Terre retrieved his scroll, seeing that it was Jai calling him. With this much negativity generated, he was willing to bet that Jai and Rahm probably ran into more Grimm in the outskirts of the city.
He answered the scroll.
"I take it the Grimm are running belligerent?" Asked Terre rhetorically.
"And I take it that something happened at the tournament to cause it?" Replied Jai.
Terre watched as Yang was led away and out of the arena.
"Something like that," said Terre, "I'll debrief the two of you when you get back."
Hope you enjoyed this one. Hope people got the Major Payne reference haha. Great movie if you haven't seen it. If you remember, I alluded to a tale of the Guardians in an earlier chapter with Dr. Haze. I will dive further into that later on, but it's establishing that it exists in this story. See you next time.
-Dude64